Page 49 of Bite of Passage
“I need numbers.Ten years, a hundred, six hundred?”
“I got turned about two hundred and eighty years ago.”
“Was it by choice?”She doubted it, but she needed this story.
He shook his head.“I was hired on as part of an army along with Cade and…James, who you know as VanFliet.”
“You used to be friends with him?I’m assuming that was before the whole bug thing, which is disgusting.He’s not getting many girls with that going on.”
“The bugs are new.I don’t know how he does it or why.He always hated his first name, so we called him by his last.We were in a battle and got captured.The warlord was a vampire, which is why we couldn’t defeat him.He executed everyone except the three of us, the ones he deemed worthy to be a part of his personal army of vampires.He turned us.”
“Did you kill this warlord?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not the greatest storyteller.More details would be helpful.Was it an epic battle, a surprise attack, a coordinated effort that took months?”
“All three.”
“Good lord,” she muttered.“All right, got it.You got turned, then you three got free in an epic battle.What split the three of you up?”
“I’m not really sure about Cade.We were good until about sixty years ago when he started hating me.VanFliet went his own way from the start, but we didn’t become serious enemies until recently.Again, I’m not sure why, but it might have to do with Petra.”
“I told Cade you two needed to talk.You’re brothers.Talking isn’t a bad thing.He’s all wrapped up in his mission and the prophecy stuff.”
“The prophecy is real.”A fog descended around him.
She took a huge swallow of the alcoholic drink and removed her hand from his.She was so not admitting she’d watched the scene with his brother.That had been something personal he wouldn’t want her to know about.“What is it?Who said it?The unknown is scary.Maybe I can help figure it out.”
“I’ve been trying to understand it for more than three times your lifetime.”He pushed around the silverware near his plate.
“Did you just bitch slap me for being younger and insinuate you’re smarter because you’re older?”
“What?”Wide-eyed insecurity stared her way.
“I’m a grown woman, not a three-year-old.I’ve seen quite a bit of shit growing up in foster homes and as a nurse.I’ve seen shit you don’t ever want to know about.I’ve also figured out things that would blow your mind.”
“I never said I didn’t think you smart or unable to handle it.I am saying it’s tricky to understand.”He muttered, “And you called me prickly?”
“Apology accepted.What is this prophecy?”
He studied her for a moment.“There’s a witch Cade imprisoned long ago who spews foretellings.Every one of them so far has come true.The one she said about me long ago was: Fail to protect the one you turn, the world will burn.Your soul she will steal and incite an immortal burn.Amongst your people evil will churn.”
“The one you turn” could be her, not that she was volunteering to become a vampire.Drinking blood…disgusting.Stealing his soul sounded bad, but maybe the words were meant to be metaphorical.Not a bad thing to steal his heart and soul, right?But an immortal burn?Would that involve both of them if she stole his soul, or just him?
She said, “Immortal burn sounds pretty bad.Are you sure it was about you specifically?”
“She said my name about a hundred times.”
“What do you think it means?”
“I turn someone and then my soul gets to burn in hell.Maybe that means the person kills me and I end up in hell.Or she burns me and then she goes evil.She might even lead the vampires to become worse than we already are.”
“That’s awful.I think I might resist turning anyone too, if I were you.Maybe she doesn’t turn evil but instead fights evil?”
“Maybe.”He removed something from his pocket.“I have something for you.I asked Fontaine to make it.”He slid an intricate bracelet toward her.
She lifted it, examining the blue stones set around mirrored glass in the candlelight.“This is beautiful.I don’t think anyone has ever given me jewelry before.Is it magical?”
